Last night, Pacific Northwest Team 3 arrived and will be shadowing Northwest Team 6 today, preparing to take over fire management tomorrow at 6 am. Crews have successfully contained most of the fire within their targeted control lines after addressing internal fire activity. In the north and northwest areas, firefighters are working on extinguishing hot spots resulting from burnout operations. Meanwhile, in the south, crews are creating a fuel break along Forest Road 3318 using heavy equipment like masticators to slow the fire’s spread.
In the northeast, timber fallers are completing the process of falling standing dead trees to pave the way for potential burnout operations. Additionally, structure protection groups are setting up sprinkler kits around buildings to safeguard them from the fire’s impact.
Evacuation notices have been issued by Curry County via Everbridge, urging residents to sign up for notifications on their website to stay informed. Some areas, including Oak Flat, Old House Creek Road, and Spud Road, have been downgraded from Level 3 to Level 2 “Get Set” evacuations.
The weather is expected to be partly cloudy and cooler, with winds coming from the northwest. For smoke forecasts, residents can refer to oregonsmoke.org.
Due to the ongoing fire situation, the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest has issued a closure order for the fire area, including trails, roads, and a portion of the Illinois River. Drivers in the vicinity should exercise caution due to increased fire traffic.
As of now, the fire has a size of 18,463 acres, and there are 1,040 personnel involved in managing it, supported by 25 engines, 32 crews, 7 bulldozers, 11 water tenders, 8 masticators, and 10 helicopters.
You can track this fire through our 2023 Wildfire Season partner’s Wildfire Aware app.
Source: RRNF
